Truth be told, it was an exciting see-saw battle for the championship between Reyes and Bustamante! And I kid you not! The 57-year-old pool master found himself trailing, 10-9, before taking the next two racks to score the coveted victory in the two-day event organized by none other than Senator Manny Villar for the benefit of more than a dozen children stricken cancer. Both Reyes and Bustamante play for Puyat Sports.

The win earned Reyes his second Villards title along with a cool Php300,000 in prize money. And for those not in the know, part of the cash goes to his partners-beneficiaries Jhon Kristopher Dequito, a 2-year-old cancer patient from Binangonan, Rizal, and 10-year-old Teresita Maribao of Potrero, Malabon, who is suffering from leukemia.

Reyes’ performance in the 2011 Manny Villar Cup saw a first-round win over Antonio Lining (9-8) of Negros Billiards Stable (NBS) and JSY Sports. He was then relegated to the losers’ bracket after a crushing 9-4 defeat in the hands of Jundel Mazon of NBS and JSY Sports. The Magician successfully secured a seat in semi-finals via wins over Rubilen Amit (9-2) and Warren Kiamco (9-5) of Puyat Sports and NBS and JSY Sports, respectively. Afterwards, it was a hotly-contested battle in the semis, where he flared against Asia’s Money Game King - Bugsy Promotions’ Dennis Orcollo!. An unforgettable 11-10 win over Orcollo catapulted Reyes to the finals!

Bustamante won four straight matches en-route to the hot seat and the Php120,000 runner-up prize. Tarlac’s favorite son scored wins over Renemar David (9-6), Roberto Gomez (9-3), Kiamco (9-6), and Carlo Biado (11-9).

Congratulations, Efren! Mabuhay!

"Cool wins a plenty with The AnitoKid!"

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Bustamante, who plays for Puyat Sports, initially found himself tied with David after 10 racks. To the delight of everyone, Django took up four the next five racks to secure the victory. Joining Bustamante in the winners’ circle are Roberto Gomez, aka Superman, who won against Rodolfo Luat, aka Boy Samson (9-7); Warren Kiamco, who eked out Iris Ranola (9-1); and Ramil Gallego, aka Bebeng, who defeated Carlo Biado (9-4). Gomez and Biado play for Bugsy Promotions, while Luat and Kiamco belong for the Negros Billiards Stable. Ranola is with Puyat Sports.

The opening ceremonies was highlighted by the presence of Senator Villar, one of the sport’s biggest patrons. Villar highlighted his never-ending support for billiards, as well as efforts to help alleviate the plight of children suffering from cancer. Villar has pledged close to Php1,000,000 for the event, with the lion’s share of Php300,000 going to the champion. The 1st runner up will get Php120,000, while the other two semifinalists will each receive Php63,000. Moreover, a portion of the players’ prizes will go to over a dozen cancer-stricken children from different parts of the country through the coordinated efforts of the Villar Foundation.

The best of luck to my pool playing friends! Mabuhay ang Villar Cup!Mabuhay ang manlalarong bilyarista!

"We make a living by what we get.
We make a life with what we give. The AnitoKid!"

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Corteza, aka The Slayer, was deemed the favorite of the lot to win the championship from the moment he stepped on Malaysian soil. Sponsored by businessman Jonathan Sy, the Slayer played exceptional billiards to defeat Ko Ping Chung of Chinese Taipei with an impressive 13-8 win in the Finals.

The Finals of the 2011 Golden Break 9-Ball Asian Invitational Championship saw Corteza breaking off. The player from NBS and JSY Sports immediately took a 3-0 lead. He was in total control throughout the Finals, giving Ping Chung little hope. And I kid you not! Ping Chung trailed Corteza throughout the Finals.

Corteza’s entry into the Finals was highlighted by a victory over Indonesian Riyan Setiawan in the Semi-Finals, while Ko Ping Chung advanced to the hot seat via a win over his older brother, Ko Pin Yi.

For his stellar performance Corteza received a cool US$7,000 and the Championship trophy. Ping Chung settled for US$3,500 and the 1st-Runner Up trophy.

*Many thanks to David Ong and Ms. Ishii Caparas for the pic!

Congratulations, Van-Van! Mabuhay!

"It's all about exciting times with The AnitoKid!"

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-- Maraming Salamat Po! --

About Me

aka The Champ. A Filipino! Born on the 24th of July. Plays the piano, guitar, and the clarinet. Collects books and stamps. Very much into billiards, fishing and photography. A Financial Analyst, Business Analyst, and Information Scientist. A pool player. A Student of Life - Seeking Alpha certified. And I kid you not!